Jingletown

I've been staying in an artist loft in Jingletown (map) for the last two weeks; it's cozy and I like it. Here's a pic of the space; downstairs is a sculpture studio. My host works on her art during the day and I sleep here at night. It works out well. She has a very friendly and mild-mannered husky named Ziggy.

Wikipedia describes Jingletown as a "pocket arts community," and one of the local murals declares it the "Oakland Riviera."(!) It's a little warehouse (+condo) district in Oakland right on the channel that separates Oakland from Alameda, between the Park Street (29th Ave) and Fruitvale Ave drawbridges. The complex I'm in is called the "Ford Street Studios." There's a coffee shop at the end of the street called Kefa Coffee, and an all-night diner called Nikkos. Had a patty melt and apple pie there last night after a party. Yum yum!

West Oakland, another, larger, warehouse district felt like an industrial wasteland, desolate and unforgiving. For some reason Jingletown feels much more welcoming. Maybe it's the christmas lights you see in the windows, maybe it's the quaintness of living by the channel and drawbridges. For some reason it kind of reminds me of driving into Cañon de Guadalupe - the hot springs resort in a palm canyon, full of christmas lights and campfires - after the long drive over the mostly-uninhabited desolated expanse of dry lake to get there. Yeah, I think it's the christmas lights.

I'm excited for my house in Berkeley, but getting that place has somehow solidified my feeling that I want to live in Alameda. I love the old-time small-town feel of Park Ave on Alameda, and the idea of having a super-short commute. I'll keep my eye on listings to see what comes up. A cool loft space here in Jingletown would also be pretty sweet.